The Member of Parliament for Sekondi constituency, Andrew Agyapa Mercer has clarified the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) position on working closely with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the next Parliament.

According to the legislator, the need for consensus-building in the 8th Parliament does not equate to power-sharing

His comment comes after President Akufo-Addo in his final State of the Nation Address to the seventh Parliament asked members the new Parliament to be more accommodating of each other so that they work in the interest of Ghanaians.

After his address, some NDC Parliamentarians revealed that the leadership of the NPP has not as yet engaged their party on how the two sides will work together in the coming days.

But speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story Tuesday, Mr Mercer stressed that there is only going to be a consensus between the two major parties during Parliamentary proceedings in the interest of the country and its citizens. However, the power to govern the nation will be wielded by President Akufo-Addo.

“It seems to me what I hear people suggest is that working together means sharing power. I don’t think so at all, because working together, does not under any circumstance mean power-sharing. There is a clear decision that Ghana has taken. They voted overwhelmingly for President Akufo-Addo. There is no doubt whatsoever about that fact.

“So we want Ghanaians to know that we will agree to disagree and will work in the best interest of Ghana. But I do not think the fact that the NPP and NDC had 137 each means that there should be some power-sharing in Ghana. Parliament mostly works by a consensus it is only in a few occasions that there is a clear division, therefore, we subject the decision making to a vote and that will not change,” he said.

The NPP suffered the most casualty in the December 2020 polls as more than 30 incumbent MPs were rejected by their constituents, giving the two major parties in the country have equal seats – 137- in the House with the Fomena seat being won by an independent candidate.